Point of View

The novel is told from the perspective of fifteen different characters, each having their own chapters and describing events through their own eyes and understanding. The characters use the first person to recount their own observations and ideas while the third person is reserved for the purpose of talking about other characters.

Setting

The story takes place in the late 1970s in Bayonne, Louisiana, a town located in the southwest of the state. The main action takes place in various parts of the Marshall Plantation, shifting from locales such as the Marshall house to the former slave quarters where many of the black characters still reside. During the course of events, there are also times when gathering happen in places off of the plantation, such as in the home of Fix, a local bar, and also the town courthouse.

Language and Meaning

Because the story...